There was time in the not so distant past when the pickup truck tailgate was a remarkably simple device. It was little more than a steel flap with a simple latch and a pair of hinge pins. Pull the handle to open the latch and swung down. Lift and slam it shut and you were done. Beyond that, you could slip it off the pins and remove it if you were mounting a camper or had or equipment rig. In 2019, the tailgate is a much more sophisticated device and the latest brand to complicate things is Ram with the multi-action tailgate available for the 1500 pickup.

Ford was the first to start reengineering the tailgate with the lock on the 1996 F-150 to try to thwart tailgate thieves. Since then we’ve seen the addition of steps and handles that slide out of the tailgate and of course the six-way Swiss Army Knife version, the MultiPro tailgate on the 2019 GMC Sierra.

Ram clearly didn’t want to be left out of this party although it didn’t go to quite to the GMC extreme with its new tailgate, but it does add more flexibility to using the 2019 North American Truck of the Year.

The new back door can still drop down in the traditional way. But Fiat Chrysler Engineers have also added a 60/40 vertical split to the gate and corresponding vertical hinges on either end. This allows the user to swing the two parts of the tailgate out to the sides for easier access to items in the truck bed without having to reach over the tailgate.

2019 Ram 1500 with MutliFunction tailgate and retractable center step

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

Ram isn’t the first brand to offer a tailgate that swings out sideways on a pickup truck. The second-generation Honda Ridgeline got this in 2017. However, the Ridgeline is only hinged on the left side and the entire tailgate swings out as a single piece in addition to dropping down in the traditional mode.

The split tailgate on the Ram is considerably shorter making it easier to open fully in spaces with less room than is possible with the Honda. For example, Ram says the tailgate segments can be opened to the sides even when a trailer is connected, something the Honda cannot do. When carrying long, narrow payloads that don’t fully fit within the bed, either side can be left open with the payload extending out the back. Further easing access to items in the bed is an optional retractable center mounted step under the rear bumper.

2019 Ram 1500 with MutliFunction tailgate and retractable center step

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

The new tailgate and retractable step will be available on the Ram 1500 starting in the second quarter of 2019. The multifunction tailgate is packaged with a spray-in bedliner for $995 while the center step is $295.